CINCINNATI — The most important moment in the most important game of the season this far came in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mets held a one-run lead over the Cincinnati Reds, who had two on with one out. Ryne Stanek, a right-handed fireballer whose fireballs have been getting hit hard as of late, came in to face the middle of the order.
He struck out the first hitter he faced, but the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Ke’Bryan Hayes then drew a walk to load the bases and bring up No. 9 hitter, Matt McLain.
The second baseman swung on two straight fastballs before swinging at the third pitch, a slider, and missing. Stanek got out of the inning in dramatic fashion, and the Mets went on to win 5-4 on Friday night at American Family Ballpark.
The Reds (70-71) are 6.0 games behind the Mets in the NL Wild Card standings, and won the first series 2-1 at Citi Field in July. The Mets (76-65) need a series win to ensure that Cincinnati won’t be able to knock them out of that third spot.
Coming off a series win this week in Detroit against the Tigers, the Mets spotted left-hander David Peterson a three-run lead in the first inning, and went up 4-1 in the third when Mark Vientos homered off of left-hander Andrew Abbott (8-6). The Reds got one back in the bottom of the inning, and a two-out double by Juan Soto in the top of the fourth gave the Mets an insurance run.
That run proved crucial.
Cincinnati came back again in the bottom of the fourth. Peterson ran into some bad luck and threw some pitches into bad locations. A bloop single landed down the first-base line with one out, and a well-hit single put two on for catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Stephenson drove a double to the left field corner, clearing the bases. Brandon Nimmo hit the cutoff man, Francisco Lindor, and the throw home was only a split-second late. Two runs scored to cut the lead to 5-3 and Stephenson reached third on the throw.
Hayes hit a shallow line drive to left field for the second out. Nimmo came charging in for a sliding catch, somersaulting his way back up. But the acrobatics gave Stephenson enough time to score from third, cutting the Mets’ lead to just one.
The Mets stranded two in the fifth, and in the sixth, Pete Alonso grounded into a double-play to end the inning.
Peterson went 5 1/3, charged with four earned runs on seven hits (9-5). The staff workhorse, the lefty has had some up-and-down outings as of late, so the Mets went the conservative route by going to the bullpen in the sixth.
It was a bold decision by manager Carlos Mendoza. Stanek had allowed 11 earned runs and allowed one of six inherited runners to score over his last 12 games. The Mets also had a day off Thursday to rest their bullpen.
In the end, it paid off. Stanek has now gone scoreless in his last six outings. He bridged the gap to Brooks Raley, who handed the ball off to Tyler Rogers, and then finally, it was closer Edwin Diaz’s turn to do what he does best. Diaz picked up save No. 26 on the season, but not before loading the bases with no outs.
Diaz struck out Nos. 2 and 3 hitters Noelvi Marte and Elly De La Cruz. The Reds sent out pinch-hitter Gavin Lux in the DH spot. Lux ripped one down the right field line that was called foul. Again, he hit one to the right side, this one past a diving Pete Alonso at first base.
But second baseman Luisangel Acuña knocked it down and threw a bullet to Diaz at first for the third and final out.
The Mets did just enough to escape.
